First-place UTSA expands its lead in the American by powering past Memphis, 17-7, in eight innings

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Ty Hodge, Mason Lytle and James Taussig blasted home runs Saturday as first-place UTSA beat the Memphis Tigers 17-7 in eight innings on the run rule at Roadrunner Field.

Hodge and Taussig both homered for the second straight day.

Hodge, a redshirt junior from College Station, hit a two-run blast in the first and finished with six RBI. Taussig, a 6-6 senior from New York City, walked it off with a three-run shot in the bottom of the eighth.

The Roadrunners have won two straight from the Tigers in the three-game American Athletic Conference series and can complete the sweep with a win Sunday. First pitch is at noon in UTSA’s on-campus stadium.

As an added benefit for UTSA, the AAC’s second-place South Florida Bulls lost at Wichita State, 6-4, which allowed the Roadrunners to open a three-game lead in the conference race.

UTSA took a 13-7 lead into the bottom of the eighth inning and scored four runs to clinch the game on the 10-run rule. Taussig took reliever Logan Stelling deep with a three-run homer over an elevated center field wall, which is 405 feet from home plate.

Hodge entered Game Two of the series coming off a Friday night performance in which he hit the ball hard twice and smashed a grand slam.

He followed it up with a two-for-five performance, highlighted by his no-doubt, two-run homer in a three-run UTSA first inning.

Hodge was also credited with two RBI on a fielder’s choice in the fifth, when the Tigers’ infield made a throwing error on a potential double-play ball. The redshirt junior from College Station added a two-run double in the sixth inning.

Lytle went three for four, scored four runs and boosted his batting average to .401, which ranks among the leaders in the AAC. He slammed a three-run homer, pulling it to left field, in the bottom of the seventh.

Not only did the Roadrunners hit for power on a hot and muggy day on their home field, but they were also were opportunists in stealing five bases. In addition, they capitalized on two errors by the Tigers to score four unearned runs.

UTSA starter Braylon Owens (6-2) picked up the victory in working six and a third innings. Though he gave up five runs on six hits, including two home runs, he also showed good stuff, striking out eight.

For the second straight day, the Roadrunners played error-free baseball on defense. Drew Detlefsen highlighted play on the defensive side with a diving catch in left field.

Dylan Perez, Jake Pitts and Seth Cox all homered for the Tigers, who out-hit the Roadrunners until the last inning. UTSA stroked three hits in the eighth to edge Memphis 11-10 for the game.

The Roadrunners have now won three straight, outscoring opponents 54-16 in that stretch. They have won 32 games on the season, seven shy of the school record. Additionally, the Roadrunners improved to 21-2 at home.

Records

Memphis 16-26, 4-13
UTSA 32-10, 14-3

Coming up

Memphis at UTSA, Sunday, at noon
UTSA at Texas State (non conference), Tuesday at 6 p.m.

Notable

With a chance to win a regular-season title, the Roadrunners have three, three-game conference series remaining. They’ll play next weekend at South Florida and the following week at East Carolina. The Roadrunners close out the regular season with three at home against the Rice Owls from May 15-17. The AAC tournament is set for May 20-25 at the BayCare Ballpark in Clearwater, Fla.

UTSA also has moved into consideration for an NCAA tournament berth. With an NCAA tournament field of 64 teams, UTSA can assure itself a spot in the bracket if it can win the AAC postseason event in Clearwater for an automatic bid. Also, an at-large bid is a possibility. The Roadrunners were rated 30th nationally coming into the Memphis series on the NCAA’s ratings percentage index (RPI) computer.

Zach Royse strikes out nine as UTSA run-rules Memphis, 12-2

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Zach Royse. UTSA beat Memphis 12-2 in seven innings in American Athletic Conference baseball at Roadrunner Field on Friday, April 25, 2025. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Zach Royse pitched six innings and allowed only a run on four hits against Memphis. He struck out nine and walked two. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

After UTSA dismantled the Memphis Tigers 12-2 in a seven-inning, run-rule decision Friday night, pitching seemed to be top of mind for Roadrunners coach Pat Hallmark. Particularly, the work of starter Zach Royse, who yielded one run and struck out nine in six easy-going innings.

“Royse has had a very good year,” Hallmark said, “very consistent, mature, all these things we like. Reliable. But I thought tonight he had his best stuff, which is saying something, because he’s usually (at) 93 miles an hour, and I haven’t seen the velocities, but it looked a little firmer tonight.

Ty Hodge home run. UTSA beat Memphis 12-2 in seven innings in American Athletic Conference baseball at Roadrunner Field on Friday, April 25, 2025. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Ty Hodge gets the flying arm bump after his sixth-inning grand slam against the Memphis Tigers. – Photo by Joe Alexander

“Yeah, it looked tough. The breaker looked harder (with more depth). Really, just a great job by him.”

The Roadrunners played what Hallmark called a “clean game” on defense with no errors, and they also stroked 14 hits on offense — including a three-run homer by James Taussig and a grand slam by Ty Hodge — to maintain a two-game lead on the South Florida Bulls in the American Athletic Conference.

The Bulls won on the road, downing the Wichita State Shockers, 4-1, to stay within two of the top spot in the AAC standings. The Roadrunners, meanwhile, held serve with their 31st victory of the season. On pace to win 40, UTSA improved to 31-10 overall and to 13-3 in the AAC.

Afterward, Royse said he just feels good physically at this point in the season, which is obviously a good thing for the Roadrunners. His mix of off speed and fastball may have been the key. He agreed that his heater may have been “a tick” harder than usual against Memphis.

“It’s just the time of the year, getting later toward the end of the season,” Royse said. “Body’s feeling good. You know, I’ve been throwing for quite awhile.” Asked if the warm weather helps, the 6-foot-3, 235-pound junior from Katy said it “definitely” does.

The Roadrunners backed Royse (6-4) by erupting for three runs in the third inning, five in the fifth and four more in the sixth. Taussig ripped his fifth home run of the season in the fifth by pulling it far over the right field wall. Hodge, not to be outdone, smacked his fourth of the year in the sixth.

Drew Detlefsen. UTSA beat Memphis 12-2 in seven innings in American Athletic Conference baseball at Roadrunner Field on Friday, April 25, 2025. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Drew Detlefsen executes a head-first slide at home to score in UTSA’s five-run fifth inning. – Photo by Joe Alexander

On both occasions, Roadrunners who were not even in the game got in on the act, greeting both Taussig and Hodge on the dugout steps after their trip around the bases with the customary ‘boom’ celebration. In the celebration, everyone jumps, and the home run hitter makes contact with someone on a flying arm bump.

The “boom” is emblematic of a close bond that has developed among players over the course of the season. Royse said he thinks the cohesive nature of the group may be what separates UTSA from teams that aren’t winning as much. “Our camaraderie is really great,” he said. “You know, all the guys are together. It’s been a good time.”

Records

Memphis 16-25, 4-12
UTSA 31-10, 13-3

Coming up

Memphis at UTSA, Saturday, 4 p.m.
Memphis at UTSA, Sunday, noon
UTSA at Texas State (non conference), Tuesday, 6 p.m.

Notable

UTSA has hit six grand slams this season, including one each in the last two games.

In the Roadrunners’ previous outing, last Saturday at home, Diego Diaz hit one in the second inning of a 25-5 victory over the Tulane Green Wave. In the sixth inning against Memphis, Hodge smashed one off reliever Malik Harris, pulling a line drive over the left field wall, scoring Taussig, Drew Detlefsen and Jordan Ballin ahead of him.

With the win against the Tigers, Roadrunners can now clinch the series with a victory on Saturday afternoon. Righthander Braylon Owens will get the start. Already, UTSA has won all five of its AAC series this season — against Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, UAB, Wichita State and Tulane. UTSA closes conference with road series at South Florida and East Carolina and then a home series against Rice.

The Roadrunners are 20-2 at home.

AAC leaders

UTSA 13-3, 31-10
South Florida 11-5, 23-16
Charlotte 10-6, 24-17

James Taussig. UTSA beat Memphis 12-2 in seven innings in American Athletic Conference baseball at Roadrunner Field on Friday, April 25, 2025. - Photo by Joe Alexander

James Taussig acknowledges his teammates after ripping a three-run homer in the fifth inning against Memphis starter Seth Garner. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Recalling the ‘Boonville Bonanza,’ when Norris McClure became a UTSA Roadrunner

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UTSA baseball infielder Norris McClure playing against Florida Atlantic on March 29, 2025, at Roadrunner Field. - photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA senior Norris McClure has emerged as one of the top hitters in the American Athletic Conference after spending the past four seasons at Spring Hill College in NCAA Division II. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

This is a story about the “Boonville Bonanza” and how it just keeps on paying dividends for Norris McClure and the surging UTSA Roadrunners.

For starters, let’s just say that the story centers around a moment in time in college baseball as told by McClure, UTSA’s prized offseason third-base pickup out of the transfer portal.

It’s also about how it’s never too late to chase an NCAA Division I dream.

McClure, who grew up in Louisiana in the New Orleans area, came out of Lakeshore High School in Mandeville in 2020.

He was considered a good player with Division I athleticism, but one that just didn’t get much attention from major schools at the outset of the Covid 19 pandemic.

Consequently, it led to his four-year stay at Division II Spring Hill College in Mobile, Ala.

Said UTSA coach Pat Hallmark, “I’m not sure how he ended up at a Division II program out of high school.”

As it turned out, Division I’s loss was Spring Hill’s gain, as McClure played in 137 games and hit .375 for his career with the Badgers. During his junior year, he showed real promise, raking at a robust average of .401.

But just as his fortunes seemed to be ascending, they stalled out when he suffered a hand injury in February 2024 in the first at bat of his senior year.

McClure, who suffered a fractured hamate bone at the base of his right hand, ended up playing only seven games. “A spooky time in my life,” he recalled.

Eventually, after the season and after his graduation, McClure entered the transfer portal. Healthy once again, he elected to join a summer league in upstate New York, where he would continue to sort out options on where he might play in 2025.

McClure, in an interview ahead of Friday’s home series opener against the Memphis Tigers, laughed and shook his head as he recounted the moment that he agreed to join Division I UTSA of the American Athletic Conference.

“I was in Boonville, New York,” said McClure, who has emerged as the AAC’s fifth leading hitter with a .366 average. “Nobody probably knows where that is. Boonville. Yes, sir. Playing the Lumberjacks (that day).”

Boonville, the home of the Lumberjacks, is a tiny enclave of about 1,900 located some 50 miles east of Syracuse. It’s also south and west of the Adirondack Mountains.

Asked to clarify, McClure said he played that day for the Utica Blue Sox, on the road in Boonville, in a New York summer league.

“I was on the Blue Sox, which is a very nice summer ball program, if you want to give a quick shout out to (coach) Doug Delett,” he said.

On the day of the game, McClure elected to make a call on his career.

After consulting with his parents and carefully considering a few options in both the Sun Belt and the American conferences, he zeroed in on UTSA, a decision that would resonate positively in his world for the next 10 months.

“I was (thinking), ‘I really have an opportunity to potentially play and help this team out,’ “ McClure said, recalling the rationale for his decision. “I thought this was a really cool chance. Didn’t want to miss it. So, I committed right then and there. I think I texted (UTSA assistant) coach (Zach) Butler and we got it all handled.”

Though the Roadrunners have been reaping the benefits of that decision all season, they have been overjoyed to see the results in the past 24 days.

In the month of April, over a 10-game stretch, McClure has hit for a .512 average, producing four home runs and 21 RBI. He has 21 hits in 41 at bats as the Roadrunners have held fast to first place in the AAC.

Holding on to a two-game lead in conference, UTSA (30-12 overall and 12-3) has 14 games left overall and 12 in the league before the AAC tournament at Clearwater, Fla.

McClure, a 6-foot-3, 200-pound, left-side hitter, made headlines last Saturday in the team’s last game by launching two home runs — both in the second inning — of a 25-7 victory over Tulane at Roadrunner Field.

The outburst gave him four homers in his last five games. All this, from a player who hit only 13 round trippers in a little more than three seasons in Division II.

“Sometimes you see some guys (in Division II) with good offensive numbers, but they don’t transition (to Division I) athletically,” Hallmark said. “Norris is very athletic. We were very fortunate to get him over here.”

Though McClure loves his new home, he has faced some challenges.

After a hot start to the season in February in which he stroked 15 hits in 34 at bats, he swooned in March, going nine for 48, ending the month on a zero-for-14 skid.

“He got a little rushed (at the plate), a little bit,” Hallmark said. “He was getting a little anxious. As soon as the production dips — a little bit of anxiety creeps in – emotion. (Now) he’s gotten back to where he’s taken some of that emotion out of the at bat.”

Right now, Hallmark said, McClure has settled into a mental zone that allows him to step into the batter’s box “very emotion-less” in his approach.

“Emotion-less hitters make better decisions,” the coach said. ”It’s kind of a theme of ours. So, lately, he’s been doing a good job of that.”

Becoming “emotion-less” in a game that is inherently emotional can be difficult challenge, McClure said, but he said the mantra as laid down by Hallmark and assistant coach Ryan Aguayo has served him well.

“You swing through a curve ball and it’s a terrible swing, you still (have) two others coming,” he said. “That’s the mental aspect that I was talking about. (Coach Hallmark) and coach Aguayo teach it very well. So I give ‘em all the praise for that.”

McClure also said it helps to be playing on a talented squad with a team batting average of .325, which is tops in the AAC. Furthermore, he said players have a close bond off the field and try to keep the mood light in the dugout during tense moments.

“I’m very, very proud of our team,” he said. “With a lot of new guys, that can be very tricky with a lot of teams. I don’t know how many (new players we have) exactly, but there are very few in the locker room that can remember the stories they were talking about from last year.

“So, it’s kind of funny. But I’m really proud of the way this team has come together. You know, we talk about friendship a lot and how close we are. That just helps with everything.”

McClure said he also had a positive experience with his former team at Spring Hill, as well. After his sophomore year, he entered the transfer portal for about 10 days before deciding to stay.

“I liked the people there,” he said “Had a lot of fun. Knew I was going to be in the lineup and knew I was going to play. There was some sort of comfort in that, being there for four years.

“But after I graduated (last spring), you know, I thought about it a lot. It was definitely a big decision. I talked to my parents. (It was) something that I had to make sure they were going to be supportive of, whatever I was doing. Whatever decision I made.

“And, like you said, the options were either to stay or hit the portal and see what happens. Thankfully, it’s all worked out, obviously.”

A bonanza for all parties concerned.

Records

Memphis 16-24, 4-11
UTSA 30-10, 12-3

Coming up

Memphis at UTSA, Friday, 6 p.m.
Memphis at UTSA, Saturday, 4 p.m.
Memphis at UTSA, Sunday, noon

Baseball: First-place UTSA hits four homers, routs Tulane, 25-7

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Update: UTSA’s Tuesday night game at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi has been called off because of poor field conditions brought on by inclement weather.

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The first-place UTSA Roadrunners bashed four home runs in an 11-run second inning Saturday en route to their 30th win of the season, a 25-7, run-rule victory in seven innings over the Tulane Green Wave.

For the Roadrunners, the bottom of the second was uniquely productive in that they hit for a home-run cycle of sorts, meaning that they crushed balls out of the park in all four variations — solo, two-run, three-run and grand slam.

Norris McClure hit two of the homers, a two-run shot to center and also a three-run blast to right, and Diego Diaz sliced a ball into the screen in left field for a grand slam. Mason Lytle added a solo shot in the inning. Both McClure and Diaz finished with eight RBI on the day.

After losing at home for only the second time this season on Friday, UTSA rebounded on a day that Tulane’s pitching collapsed, issuing 15 walks, not to mention hitting four batters and throwing three wild pitches.

UTSA took full advantage of the situation by stroking 16 hits, following its 11-run second inning with three runs in the third, four in the fourth and six in the fifth.

With the victory, the Roadrunners (30-10, 12-3) won two of three in the series against the Green Wave and increased their lead in the American Athletic Conference to two games over the South Florida Bulls.

Records

Tulane 24-17, 8-7
UTSA 30-10, 12-3

Coming up

UTSA at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (non conference), Tuesday, 6 p.m.
Memphis at UTSA, Friday, April 25, 6 p.m.
Memphis at UTSA, Saturday, April 26. 4 p.m.
Memphis at UTSA, Sunday, April 27, noon

Notable

The Roadrunners have won 30 games for the fourth straight season under Coach Pat Hallmark. They won 38 games in both 2022 and 2023 and 32 last season.

The streak matches a run from 2006 through 2009 under Sherman Corbett for consecutive seasons of 30 or more wins.

The Roadrunners have 15 games remaining in the regular season, which includes three-game AAC series against Memphis, South Florida, East Carolina and Rice.

AAC leaders

UTSA 12-3, 30-10
South Florida 10-5, 22-15
Florida Atlantic 9-6, 27-12
East Carolina 9-6, 27-14
Charlotte 9-6, 22-17
Tulane 8-7, 24-17

Florida wins the NCAA title with a 65-63 victory over Houston

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Florida wins the national championship at the 2024 Final Four at the Alamodome.

The confetti rained down on the Florida Gators Monday night after they defeated the Houston Cougars and won their third NCAA men’s basketball championship. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

If the NCAA Division I men’s basketball championship game had been a canvas, then the Florida Gators’ last defensive stop against the Houston Cougars in a 65-63 victory represented a work of art. They stuffed both of the Cougars’ leading scorers on one play to secure their first title in 18 years.

With Florida leading by two and 19 seconds remaining Monday night at the Alamodome, Houston had an opportunity to tie or take the lead. Coming out of a timeout, they inbounded and put the ball in guard L.J. Cryer’s hands about 30 feet from the hoop.

Florida wins the national championship at the 2024 Final Four at the Alamodome.

Florida fans shouted their approval after the Gators won their first title since back to back crowns in 2006 and 2007. – Photo by Joe Alexander

But with a defender in his face, the Cougars’ No 1 offensive threat had nowhere to go and tossed it to teammate Emanuel Sharp, a deadly 41.5 percent shooter from three-point range. Seeing an opening in the middle of the floor, he jumped and started to launch what would have been a long three for the lead, only to see Florida’s Walter Clayton Jr. close out on the play and fly past him.

To avoid having the shot blocked or getting called for traveling, Sharp dropped the ball before his feet hit the floor, hoping that one of his teammates could retrieve it. The gamble proved costly. With the ball bouncing three times and the clock ticking away the last few seconds, Florida forward Alex Condon raced out from his post inside, dove and secured it in his arms.

Then he tossed it to Clayton as the buzzer sounded.

Still face down on the floor, Condon knew that the sound of the blaring horn was a good thing. It meant that the Gators had scrawled their initials on a season-long masterpiece. Afterward, Florida coach Todd Golden hailed his team’s run to the title as “a heck of an accomplishment.”

“Obviously, we have an incredibly talented group, one of the most talented groups individually in America,” Golden said. “I do think what separates us and has separated us all season long is our team talent, how our guys have played together and for each other all year. Because of that, we can call each other national champions for the rest of our lives.”

For the third straight game in the tournament, the Gators rallied from a deficit of nine points or more to win. They did it against Texas Tech in the regional final. They did it against Auburn Saturday in the national semifinal. And once again, against Houston, they were down 42-30 early in the second half, only to find a way to win.

It wasn’t easy. The Cougars, who had won 18 straight, continued to play hard even though they were not at the top of their game.

Leading by three points with 4:17 remaining and looking for their first national title, Houston was outscored 8-3 down the stretch as their championship hopes slipped away. The Gators took the lead with 46.5 seconds remaining when Alijah Martin drove to draw a foul and made two free throws, making it 64-63.

Alex Condon, Florida

Florida forward Alex Condon had 12 points, seven rebounds and four steals. – Photo by Joe Alexander

After a timeout, Sharp had the ball on the dribble, taking it down the right side of the lane. In response, Florida’s Will Richard reached in and deflected it, knocking it off Sharp’s leg.

The play, confirmed on an official review at the monitors, gave Florida possession with 26.5 seconds left. Drawing a foul, Gators guard Denzel Aberdeen went to the line and made one of two free throws, giving the Gators a 65-63 lead as the Cougars called time with 19.7 seconds left.

That is when the Gators’ masterpiece of a defensive stand unfolded. Clayton, held to 11 points after scoring 30 and 34 in his last two games of the tournament, read Houston’s play perfectly and promptly hustled outside to contest Sharp.

“Felt like we were going to get something from Cryer or (Houston forward J’Wan Roberts),” Clayton said. “Sharp kind of creeped down to the baseline. I seen a back screen. I’m yelling ‘screen,’ at Do (Condon). Sharp ended up slipping it … We work on it in practice, closing out, jumping to the side, so you don’t foul the shooter. He pump faked, threw the ball down. Ended up being a good play (for us). Do got on it. We won the game.”

Condon described the surreal moment of latching onto the ball and then realizing that the game was over, and that the Gators had won.

“I think it was a great defensive play by Walter,” Condon said. “I was questioning whether I should go out and leave my man. He did a good job of making him (hesitate and drop the ball). It was going to be a travel (violation) if he picked it up. Just diving on it and hearing the buzzer … was a crazy feeling. Didn’t feel real, for sure.”

Guard Will Richard led the Gators in scoring with 19 points. Condon had 12 points and Walter Clayton Jr. 11. Defensively, the Gators played extremely well, holding the Cougars to 34.8 percent shooting from the field and limiting them to just six of 24 from the three-point line.

Walter Clayton Jr., Florida.

Walter Clayton Jr. contributed 11 points, five rebounds and seven assists. Clayton, a first-team All American, had scored 30 and 34 points in his two previous tournament games. – Photo by Joe Alexander

For Houston, playing its first national title game since 1984 in front of a mostly red-clad throng of its own fans, Cryer scored 19 points. Mylik Wilson had nine and Roberts, Sharp and Ja’Vier Francis contributed eight apiece.

“I told our guys after the game to be disappointed you lost,” Houston coach Kelvin Sampson said. “But do not be disappointed in your effort. You know, defending Florida is difficult. They got a really, really good team. Coach Golden runs great schemes over there. But we guarded ’em. We held that team to 65 points.”

The loss stung Sampson, a 69-year-old veteran of 36 years as a college head coach who has won 799 games but still has never won a national title. Asked during his postgame news conference what was on his mind in the big picture, he tried to explain.

“I’m just going through those last two possessions more than anything else,” he said. “Incomprehensible in that situation we couldn’t get a shot. Couldn’t get a shot. We were down two, and obviously we didn’t need a three … We were struggling to score the entire second half. We got good looks.

“Florida was doing a good job running us off the (three-point) line and forcing us to score it (elsewhere). We just didn’t do a good job of finishing some shots … Give Florida credit, too. I’m not going to sit up here and poor mouth, pity mouth us.

“We held that team to 65 points. Clayton and Martin combined go five for 20 (from the field). If you would have told me we would hold those two guys to five for 20 … We had a good plan. We just didn’t score it well enough to win. Scored it well enough to be in a position to win. At the end, you’ve got to get a shot.

“Got to do better than that.”

Records

Florida 36-4
Houston 35-5

First half

Wilson and forward Francis came off the bench and sparked the Cougars to a 31-28 lead at halftime.

Wilson, a 6-foot-3 graduate guard, played 11 minutes and hit three of six shots from the field for seven points. Francis, a 6-8 sky walker, had six points and four rebounds.

J'Wan Roberts, Houston

Sixth-year Houston forward J’Wan Roberts had eight points and eight rebounds, – Photo by

Six minutes into the game, Francis brought the crowd to its feet with a soaring dunk. Later, he added a couple of shots in the paint. His second field goal in the stretch gave Houston a 20-16 lead.

Wilson energized the Cougars with a steal from Denzel Aberdeen and then a breakaway layup. He later punctuated an 8-0 run for the Cougars with a dunk on the fast break, soaring to catch an alley-oop pass from Emanuel Sharp, and then dunking with force.

When Wilson hit a three off the glass out of the corner, the Cougars had a 29-21 lead with 5:02 remaining. At that point, the Cougars failed to capitalize on the momentum, hitting only one field goal for the rest of the half.

Will Richard scored on a jumper and a three-pointer in the last 3:21 to bring the Gators back. Richard finished the half with 14 points, including five of eight from the field and four of six from three.

The top scorers for both teams in Saturday’s semifinals were held in check. Florida’s Walter Clayton was scoreless on zero for four shooting. Guarded closely as soon as he crossed halfcourt, Clayton would try to drive, only to find another Houston defender in his face.

Clayton tried to adjust, passing for five assists. Clayton scored 34 points in Florida’s 79-73 victory over Auburn Saturday afternoon. Houston’s L.J. Cryer, who played 40 minutes and scored 26 in a 70-67 victory over Duke, was also guarded with intensity by Florida defenders.

Cryer had five points on two for six shooting.

Improved three-point shooting has helped propel Houston to the NCAA title game

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

After an exit from last year’s NCAA tournament in the Sweet 16, coaches for the Houston Cougars went back to work in an effort to upgrade the team’s offensive capabilities.

Milos Uzan. Houston beat Duke 70-67 in the second semifinal of the Final Four on Saturday, April 5, 2025, at the Alamodome. - Photo by Joe Alexander

The addition of Milos Uzan (No. 7) has bolstered the depth of Houston’s three-point shooting. – Photo by Joe Alexander

The Cougars did just that, reconfiguring a backcourt that now has the ability to carry the team with its three-point shooting.

Houston has always been known for its rugged defense, which ranks first in the nation this season in points per game and field goal percentage allowed.

Nevertheless, the Cougars’ ability to shoot the three has, in essence, turned the squad into a more well-rounded force of nature, one that has surged all the way to the NCAA championship game.

Houston (35-4) will try to win its first national title when it meets Florida (also 35-4) on Monday at 7:50 p.m. at the Alamodome.

“We collectively have more guys that can make a three,” Houston coach Kelvin Sampson said earlier this week. “We’ve gone from being a three-point shooting team to a three-point making team. There’s a difference.”

The Duke Blue Devils found that out the hard way.

Guards L.J. Cryer and Emanuel Sharp combined to hit nine of Houston’s 10 three-point buckets Saturday night in a riveting, 70-67 victory in the NCAA semifinals.

Cryer, in his second year at Houston after starting his career at Baylor, poured in 26 points. On the way to that outburst, Cryer knocked down six of nine from long distance.

Sharp made three of seven from beyond the arc and scored 16, including a momentum-changing three during the Cougars’ 9-0 run in the last minute of the game.

The performance was emblematic of Houston’s success all season. At least one player, and sometimes two or three, will heat up from the perimeter to make life miserable for opposing players and coaches.

Last season, the Cougars were excellent defensively, as usual, but were only a respectable team in hitting the long ball. They made 286 of 821 for 34.8 percent in a 32-5 campaign that ended in the Sweet 16 with a loss to Duke.

This season, the Coogs have connected on 320 of 803 for 39.9 percent. Houston’s three backcourt starters — Cryer, Sharp and first-year point guard Milos Uzan — have all hit better than 40 percent for the season.

Uzan, a transfer from Oklahoma, was brought in to be a distributor as veteran point guard Jamal Shead was leaving for the NBA.

He doesn’t shoot the ball a lot in the Cougars’ system but he can make the three, as evidenced by his 44 percent accuracy for the year.

Cryer leads the team with 119 makes from distance while hitting 42.7 percent. Sharp, meanwhile, shoots the long ball at 41.5 percent clip.

In five NCAA tournament games, the Cougars have been even better. They’re making 40.3 percent in five games, averaging a little more than nine per outing. Opponents, by contrast, are hitting 26 percent and 5.2 per game.

Duke made seven of 17 from outside the arc, but that wasn’t quite enough.

In the end, the Houston’s remarkable 25-8 run on Duke in the last eight minutes of the game also showcased clutch free-throw shooting, which is always important in championship settings.

During that stretch, the Cougars made nine of 10 at the line, including two for two by forward J’Wan Roberts in the last minute of a harrowing finish. Roberts entered the Duke game as a career 58.9 percent free-throw shooter.

Roberts was three for eight from the free-throw line in last year’s Sweet 16 loss to the Blue Devils.

“Even though we only lost four games all year, a couple of those, the free-throw line impacted two of those,” Sampson said. “So we had our kids make 150 free throws seven days a week. I don’t think J’Wan missed a day from June 2nd till we left (Houston for San Antonio) on Wednesday.

“We left on Wednesday, right? So Tuesday night I looked at what he shot from the free-throw line with his 150 makes. He shot 87 (percent). That was his highest percentage … When he started this, he was at 66.”

Records

Florida 35-4
Houston 35-4

Coming up

NCAA championship game, Houston vs. Florida, Monday at 7:50 p.m. at the Alamodome

Notable

The Cougars have made two appearances in NCAA championship games, in both 1983 and 1984, in the Phi Slama Jama years. The 1983 team featured Clyde Drexler and Akeem (now Hakeem) Olajuwon. Olajuwon also played for Houston in the ’84 title game.

In ’83, the Cougars lost to Jim Valvano and the NC State Wolfpack at Albuquerque, N.M., and in ’84, they lost to John Thompson and Georgetown at Seattle, Wash. Both Houston teams were coached by Guy V. Lewis. This is Houston’s seventh Final Four appearance. The Cougars reached the Final Four in 1967, 1968, 1982, 1983, 1984, 2021 and 2025.

Lewis coached the Cougars to the first five Final Fours and Kelvin Sampson the last two.

Sampson, 69, is bidding to become the oldest coach to win an NCAA title. Jim Calhoun won in 2011 with the Connecticut Huskies at age 68. In his 36th year as a coach, Sampson would also reach two other milestone if he can beat the Gators. A win would be the 800th of his career and his 300th in 11 seasons at Houston.

If Houston wins Monday night, the Cougars would be the third team from the state of Texas to win the NCAA men’s title and the first to do it in a game played within the state.

Don Haskins-coached Texas Western (now UT-El Paso) won the 1966 championship with a victory over Kentucky in College Park, Md. In 2021, Scott Drew-coached Baylor beat Sampson and Houston in the semifinals and then downed Gonzaga in the title game at Indianapolis.

Florida has reached the NCAA finals three times and has won two titles. The Gators made the championship game in 2000, 2006 and 2006, all coached by recently-installed Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame coach Billy Donovan.

A Florida team that included forward Matt Bonner lost in 2000 in Indianapolis to Tom Izzo-coached Michigan State. Bonner went on to become a popular player with the Spurs. In 2006, they won the title in Indianapolis over UCLA, and in 2007, they won again in Atlanta over Ohio State.

Final Four stunner: Houston rallies from 14 points down to defeat Duke, 70-67

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L.J. Cryer. Houston beat Duke 70-67 in the second semifinal of the Final Four on Saturday, April 5, 2025, at the Alamodome. - Photo by Joe Alexander

L.J. Cryer (No. 4, on the dribble) scored 26 points Saturday night at the Alamodome as the Houston Cougars came from behind in the final minutes to beat the Duke Blue Devils at the NCAA Final Four. Houston advances to meet Florida in a national title game set for Monday night. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Fifteen minutes or so after the final buzzer sounded at the NCAA Final Four on Saturday night, the cavernous Alamodome was nearly empty. The Houston Cougars and the Duke Blue Devils had long since retreated to their respective dressing rooms.

As for the announced crowd of 68,252 fans, most had filed out through glass doors and into the night in downtown San Antonio.

But with members of media seated in the north end of the dome typing furiously to put into words one of the most thrilling NCAA tournament game finishes of the year, some Cougars’ fans could still be heard on the outer concourses.

Cooper Flagg. Houston beat Duke 70-67 in the second semifinal of the Final Four on Saturday, April 5, 2025, at the Alamodome. - Photo by Joe Alexander

NCAA Player of the Year Cooper Flagg, seen here soaring for a dunk, finished with 27 points, seven rebounds and four assists. The 18-year-old Duke freshman is mentioned as a possible No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Screaming in delight in intermittent bursts of emotion, they apparently didn’t want to leave the scene, and who could blame them? The Cougars had just erased a 14-point deficit in the last eight minutes and shocked the Blue Devils, 70-67, in the NCAA semifinals.

“Yeah, awesome win for my kids,” 69-year-old Houston coach Kelvin Sampson said. “Obviously we have great respect for Duke and their team, their tradition, what Coach K and Duke has meant to this game for so long.”

Coach Jon Scheyer, who took the Duke job three years ago after the legendary Mike Krzyzewski retired, was clearly emotional in his opening remarks to the assembled press corps. Flanked by NCAA Player of the Year Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel on the dais, Scheyer talked about pride.

“So, for me, the very first thing I want to say is how proud I am to coach these two guys next to me and our entire team,” Scheyer said. “I mean, it’s been a special ride that ended in a heartbreaking way.”

Riding a 15-game winning streak into the Final Four, the Blue Devils (35-4) likely will long remember how this one got away from them. The Cougars (also 35-4) will in turn try capitalize on the momentum and carry it into a championship setting.

Houston will play Florida (35-4) for the NCAA title at the dome on Monday night. The Gators advanced by winning the earlier game of Saturday’s doubleheader, downing the Auburn Tigers, 79-73 behind Walter Clayton Jr.’s 34 points.

How it happened

Guard L.J. Cryer scored eight of his 26 points in the last 7:58 of the game in leading Houston to its 18th straight victory.

In a 9-0 run over the final minute and 14 seconds, Cougars reserve guard Mylik Wilson contributed with a steal on a Duke inbounds pass that led to dunk by Joseph Tugler.

J'Wan Roberts. Houston beat Duke 70-67 in the second semifinal of the Final Four on Saturday, April 5, 2025, at the Alamodome. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Houston forward Houston’s J’Wan Roberts shoots over Duke’s Cooper Flagg. Roberts finished with 11 points, 12 rebounds and five assists. He hit the go-ahead free throws with 19 seconds remaining. – Photo by Joe Alexander

After the steal, Wilson dribbled out to the three-point line and shot the ball. The rebound went to Tugler, who dunked it, bringing the Cougars to within one point with 25 seconds left.

Duke, still with the upper hand, promptly advanced the other way in an effort to clinch the victory.

The Blue Devils couldn’t get it done, though, as Houston fouled and Duke guard Tyrese Proctor missed the front end of a one-and-one free throw situation with 20 seconds remaining. It was a miss that opened the door for the Cougars to win it.

Houston forward J’Wan Roberts snared the rebound and was fouled, walking the length of the court with a chance to give his team the lead at the free-throw line. Roberts, in his sixth year with the Cougars, came through.

He hit two with 19.6 seconds left, pushing the Cougars into a 68-67 lead, a development that prompted Cougars’ fans to unleash a high-decibel roar.

After a Duke timeout failed to quiet the crowd, the Blue Devils inbounded and passed once to Flagg, who misfired on a turnaround jumper with eight seconds left.

Cryer hit two free throws with 3.7 seconds remaining to account for the game’s final points.

Individuals

Houston — When the Houston offense seemed hopelessly stalled in the first half, L.J. Cryer kept the Cougars in it. He scored 12 points on four of seven shooting before intermission. The former Houston area high school standout, who started his career at Baylor University, finished his day by hitting eight of 14 from the field and six of nine from behind the three-point arc. Guard Emanuel Sharp scored 16 points, including nine in the final two minutes. Forward J’Wan Roberts produced 11 points, 12 rebounds and five assists.

Emanuel Sharp. Houston beat Duke 70-67 in the second semifinal of the Final Four on Saturday, April 5, 2025, at the Alamodome. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Houston guard Emanuel Sharp scored nine of his 16 points in the last two minutes, including a three with 32.4 seconds that trimmed Duke’s lead to three. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Duke — Duke freshman Cooper Flagg was sensational. Not only did he have 27 points and seven rebounds, he also passed for four assists, made two steals and blocked three shots. Freshman guard Kon Knueppel produced 16 points and seven rebounds. Both Flagg and Knueppel hit three three-point baskets. While Flagg and Knueppel shot a combined 13 for 28 from the field, the rest of the team made only 8 for 25.

First half

Knueppel, one of Duke’s outstanding freshmen, scored 12 points in the half as the Duke Blue Devils grinded their way to a 34-28 lead on the Houston Cougars at intermission.

Another Duke freshman, national player of the year Cooper Flagg, showed off multiple skills with eight points, four rebounds and two assists.

In the beginning, the Cougars played hard but couldn’t hit a shot and fell behind 18-9 on the scoreboard.

They missed their first three shots, eight of their first nine and 14 of their first 17 in a frustrating opening 11 minutes.

Quotable

Asked how they executed what was the third-largest comeback in NCAA semifinals history, the Cougars offered varying explanations.

“I mean, it ain’t over because they still got time on the clock,” Cryer said. “As long as there’s time on the clock, we’re going out there and give it our all. We’ve been in positions like that before.

“At Kansas, I don’t remember how much we (were) down, but it was late in the game. That game looked like it was pretty much over, too. Somehow, we ended up winning it.”

Sampson put it more succinctly, saying that as far as the Cougars are concerned, “quitting isn’t part of the deal.”

Records

Houston 35-4
Duke 35-4

Coming up

Houston vs. Florida for the NCAA title, Monday at 7:50 p.m. in the Alamodome.

NCAA Final Four: Clayton-led Florida roars from behind to beat Auburn

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Walter Clayton Jr. Florida beat Auburn 79-73 in Saturday's first semifinal in the Final Four at the Alamodome on Saturday, April 5, 2026. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Walter Clayton Jr. (1) continued his NCAA tournament heroics Saturday with 34 points in a 79-73 victory over the Auburn Tigers in the Final Four. It was Clayton’s second straight tournament game of 30 or more. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

All-American guard Walter Clayton Jr. scored 20 of his 34 points in the second half, leading the Florida Gators to a 79-73 victory over the Auburn Tigers in the opening game of the NCAA Final Four on Saturday at the Alamodome.

Flashing moves that could translate to a lucrative career in the NBA, Clayton hit 11 of 18 shots from the field and five of eight from beyond the 3-point arc. In the second half, he knocked down six field goals, including three from distance.

Johni Broome, Auburn

Auburn All-American forward Johni Broome scored 15 points, but was held to only three in the second half. — Photo by Joe Alexander

As a result, the Gators (35-4) won their 11th straight game and moved into the NCAA tournament finals on Monday. Seeking the third championship in school history, they’ll play either the Houston Cougars or the Duke Blue Devils.

The Cougars, champions from the Big 12, will meet the Atlantic Coast Conference titlist Blue Devils later Saturday night.

Rallying to overcome a nine-point, second-half deficit, the Gators sent home the Tigers (32-6) in a battle of Southeastern Conference powers. Chad Baker-Mazara scored 18 points to lead the Tigers.

All-American Johni Broome finished with 15 points, but was held to only three in the second half.

A key sequence for Florida came early in the second half when the Gators constructed an 11-0 run to take a 51-49 lead. Highlights included three-point buckets by Clayton and guard Alijah Martin, followed by a Clayton baseline drive.

Martin, a transfer from Florida Atlantic University, scored 17 points in the victory.

First half

Trailing by one point midway through the first half, the Auburn Tigers turned it on. They outscored the Florida Gators 24-15 in the last 10 minutes to take a 46-38 lead into intermission.

Tigers guards Denver Jones and Miles Kelly ignited the run. First, Jones drove into the paint and scored. Kelly followed with his own drive through traffic and a layup, and then a three.

Freshman Tahaad Pettiford, one of Auburn’s standouts in the tournament, took it inside for a bucket and then knocked down three free throws after he was fouled outside the arc.

When Broome wheeled inside to score at 2:52, the Tigers had opened a 38-29 advantage. The Gators never got closer than six the rest of the say.

Broome, who tweaked a knee and an elbow last Sunday against Michigan State, didn’t practice for a few days earlier this week. But he didn’t seem bothered at all bothered, as the 6-10 forward had 12 points, four rebounds and two blocks in the half.

Also for the Tigers, Kelly and Chad Baker-Mazara scored eight points apiece, and both knocked down a couple of threes. The Auburn backcourt of Denver Jones, Kelly and Baker-Mazara was also solid in subtle ways. They orchestrated an offense that turned it over only one time.

Meanwhile, the Tigers went to work inside, outscoring the Gators 26-14 in the paint.

All-American Walter Clayton Jr. had the hot hand for Florida, scoring inside and outside and finishing the half with 14 points. He hit five of nine afield and two of four from beyond the arc. Guard Alijah Martin also scored 10.

Florida big men weren’t much of a factor. Alex Condon, Rueben Chinyelu, Thomas Haugh and Micah Handlogten combined for eight points.

Records

Florida 35-4
Auburn 32-6

Coming up

Houston vs. Duke, NCAA semifinal, later tonight

Notable

Clayton scored 17 of his 30 points late in the second half last Saturday as the Gators rallied past the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the Elite Eight at San Francisco.

Quotable

“I thought Auburn played great in the first half,” Florida coach Todd Golden said. “We did some nice things, but we did not have an answer for their physicality in the paint. I think they were 13 of 18 from two. Our game plan, we weren’t executing it very well and it wasn’t working very well.

“The main message at halftime was, ‘We have to get back to doing what we do,’ in a positive way … I thought we did a great job in the second half defending and rebounding. We ended up plus nine on the glass. We were down one at halftime …

“We started getting out in transition a little bit, seeing the ball go through the basket. We obviously played a really, really good second half. I think it starts with our perimeter. Walt, Will (Richard) and Alijah, three senior leaders, guys who have been through the fire.”

Starters

Starters for Florida: Walter Clayton, Jr., Will Richard, Rueben Chinyelu, Alijah Martin, Alex Condon. For Auburn: Denver Jones, Johni Broome, Chad Baker-Mazara, Miles Kelly, Dylan Cardwell.

Alijah Martin, Florida

High-flying Florida guard Alijah Martin takes it to the basket against Auburn in the Final Four. Martin, a transfer from Florida Atlantic, scored 17 points and hit two three-pointers. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Final Four teams at a glance: Florida, Auburn, Houston, Duke

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L.J. Cryer. Houston Cougars at the 2005 NCAA Final Four for a public practice and media session on Friday, April 4, 2025, at the Alamodome in San Antonio. - Photo by Joe Alexander

L.J. Cryer leads the Houston Cougars into the Final Four looking for the program’s first national championship. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The NCAA Final Four starts Saturday at the Alamodome with Florida playing Auburn at 5:09 p.m. and Houston meeting Duke at approximately 7:49 p.m. Here are the teams at a glance:

Florida

Road to San Antonio: The top seed in the West defeated Norfolk State, 95-69; UConn, 77-75; Maryland, 87-71; Texas Tech, 84-79

Record: 34-4

Winning streak: 10

Extended streak: 16-1 in last 17

Coach: Todd Golden, sixth year, 131-69 overall and 74-33 in three years at Florida.

Starters: Alex Condon, Rueben Chinyelu, Walter Clayton Jr., Will Richard, Alijah Martin

Seasoned veteran: Clayton, a first-team Associated Press All American and an All SEC pick, has played 137 games in his college career, including 64 at Iona and 73 at Florida

Most productive player: Clayton averages 18.1 points and shoots 38.5 percent from three.

Top newcomer out of the portal: Alijah Martin has averaged 14.5 points.

Top freshman: Freshmen have had a minimal impact on the Gators. Guard Isaiah Brown from Orlando has played in 19 games.

The journey and the goal: The Gators, in their third season under Golden, started to peak in Nashville a few weeks ago when they won the SEC tournament. Now they’re looking to win their first NCAA title since they went back to back in 2006 and 2007.

Auburn Tigers

Road to San Antonio: The top seed in the South defeated Alabama State, 83-63; Creighton, 82-70; Michigan, 78-65; Michigan State, 70-64.

Record: 32-5

Winning streak: Four

Extended streak: 5-3 in last eight

Coach: Bruce Pearl, 694-269 in 30 seasons, including 232-124 in 11 seasons at Auburn.

Starters: Dylan Cardwell, Johni Broome, Chad Baker-Mazara, Miles Kelley, Denver Jones.

Most productive player: Forward/center Johni Broome, a first-team AP All American, averages 18.7 points and 10.9 rebounds. NCAA South Regional MVP after averaging 23.5 points and 15 rebounds in victories over Michigan and Michigan State.

Seasoned veteran: Forward Dylan Cardwell has played in 165 games in five seasons for Auburn.

Top newcomer out of the portal: Guard Denver Jones made the SEC all defense team. He’s scored 51 points in four NCAA games.

Top freshman: Tahaad Pettiford, a 6-1 freshman guard from Jesey City, N.J., averages 11.7 points off the bench. Has scored 69 points in four NCAA games, including 23 against Creighton and 20 against Michigan.

The journey and the goal: Ranked 11th nationally in the preseason, the Tigers won the SEC regular-season crown and entered the NCAA tournament as a No. 1 seed. They’re in their second Final Four after making it in 2019, also under Bruce Pearl. Both the coach and the program have never won the national title, so Pearl will be looking to make history this weekend.

Houston Cougars

Road to San Antonio: The top seed in the Midwest defeated SIU-Edwardsville, 78-40; Gonzaga, 81-76; Purdue, 62-60 and Tennessee 69-50.

Record: 34-4

Streak: Won 17 in a row

Extended streak: 30-1 in last 31

Coach: Kelvin Sampson, 36th year, 798-353; 11th year at Houston, 298-83.

Starters: G Milos Uzan, G L.J. Cryer, G Emanuel Sharp, F J’Wan Roberts, F Joseph Tugler.

Most productive player: L.J. Cryer, a 6-1 guard, made AP third-team All America after leading the Cougars in scoring at 15.4 points per game. He shoots 41.9 percent from three. Cryer played limited minutes as a freshman when the Baylor Bears won the 2020-21 national title.

Seasoned veteran: Forward J’Wan Roberts has played in a school-record 171 games in the last five seasons for the Cougars.

Top newcomer out of the portal: Milos Uzan, a transfer from Oklahoma, has averaged 11.6 points and 4.4 assists. He scored 22 against Purdue in the Sweet 16.

Top freshman: Not much impact from freshmen. Mercy Miller has played only 22 games and has averaged 2.7 points.

The journey and the goal: The Cougars won the Big 12 regular-season and tournament title en route their second Final Four in the last five years (both under Sampson) and their seventh overall. Both Sampson and the Cougars are looking for their first national title.

Duke Blue Devils

Road to San Antonio: The top seed in the East defeated Mount St. Mary’s, 93-49; Baylor, 89-66; Arizona 100-93 and Alabama, 85-65.

Record: 35-3

Streak: Won 15 in a row

Extended streak: 31-1 in last 32

Coach: Jon Scheyer, third year, 89-21, all at Duke.

Starters: G Sion James, G Tyrese Proctor, G/F Kon Knueppel, G/F Cooper Flagg, C Khaman Maluach.

Most productive player: Freshman forward Cooper Flagg averages 18.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists for the season. The 18-year-old Associated Press player of the year is averaging 19.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists in the NCAA tournament.

Top newcomer out of the portal: Guard Sion James, an offseason transfer from Tulane, shoots 52.4 percent from the field and 41.7 percent from three. He averages 8.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists.

Top freshman: Other than Flagg, the Blue Devils’ top freshman is guard/forward Kon Knueppel, who averages 14.4 points. He’s a 47.7 percent shooter, including 40.1 percent from three.

The journey and the goal: The Blue Devils won the ACC regular-season and postseason titles en route to a No. 1 seed in the East. After Flagg sat out two games in the ACC tournament with an ankle injury, he returned and led the Blue Devils to their 18th Final Four appearance. Duke is trying to win its first NCAA championship since 2014-15 and its sixth overall.

In a potentially epic Final Four Saturday, don’t count out the ‘old guys’ coaching at Houston, Auburn

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Houston coach Kelvin Sampson. No. 5 seed Houston upset No. 1 seed Arizona 72-60 in the NCAA tournament South Region Sweet 16 on Thursday, March 24, 2022, at the AT&T Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Coach Kelvin Sampson has won 798 games in 36 seasons as a head coach. He’s looking for his first national championship this weekend at the Alamodome. – File photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Since last weekend, everyone in the basketball universe has known of the potential for an epic NCAA Final Four.

The qualifiers include the Florida Gators from the West region and the Duke Blue Devils from the East, and then the Houston Cougars from the Midwest and the Auburn Tigers from the South.

Since last Sunday, when the field was set, the statistics have been crunched, the talent evaluated and the odds posted. Who shoots the three ball the best? Who plays the best defense? How do they play it?

The Final Four, featuring a mixture of four No. 1 seeds for the second time ever and the first time since 2008, has been analyzed seemingly every which way.

So on Thursday, it was funny to hear a reporter at an afternoon news conference break it down in another way.

Basically, he said, when it comes down to the head coaches involved, the Final Four may be viewed as “two old guys” against “two young guys.”

In the first game Saturday at the Alamodome, it’ll be Pearl, 65, sending his Tigers out to play Todd Golden’s Gators in a battle of Southeastern Conference powers.

In the nightcap, we’ll see 69-year-old Kelvin Sampson’s Cougars, representing the Big 12, against Jon Scheyer and the Blue Devils from the Atlantic Coast Conference.

As the reporter rolled out his question, he asked Pearl, who was seated at the dais, “You and Kelvin have been through adversity, all these things in your career. How much difference does that make?”

Also, the reporter asked Pearl to comment on a trend by schools to hire 30-something coaches like Golden and Scheyer into jobs at high-profile schools.

As the question was being asked, Pearl started to grin. You could tell he liked it. When it was delivered in full, the coach was still smiling as he delivered the type of answer that has made him so popular over the years.

“You know,” Pearl began, “the only way I look at it is, Kelvin and I have fewer chances to get to where we are right now (in the future), whereas Jon Scheyer and Todd Golden will be back here many, many more times.

“Kelvin and I better take advantage of it this time ‘cause we’re clearly on the back nine. I’m not on the 18th hole yet, but we’re getting closer.

“Todd and Jon don’t give up anything in experience … They just don’t have as much gray hair. They may not have been beaten down as much as Kelvin and I have been over the years.”

For the record, Pearl, in his 30th season as a head coach, has won 694 games. He’s led his teams into 14 NCAA tournaments — including six NCAAs and two Final Fours — in eight years as head coach of the Tigers.

Sampson, in turn, has won 798 games in 36 seasons. In Houston, he has re-energized a fan base, taking the Cougars on seven trips to the NCAA dance.

In his storied career, which started at tiny Montana Tech, he has been to two Final Fours, one with Oklahoma in 2002 and another with Houston in 2021.

Like Pearl, Sampson seemed amused by the topic of the day.

“There’s kind of a divide in this Final Four,” the reporter said. “You got you and Bruce Pearl, then you got two guys that are young enough to be your sons.”

Replied Sampson, smiling, “Thank you. Appreciate that. I hadn’t quite looked at it like that. But I will now.”

At that point, Sampson was told that he and Pearl had negotiated “difficult waters” in their respective careers.

For reference, Pearl and Sampson have both been found to have run afoul of the NCAA rule book, and both have been fired. Pearl, by the University of Tennessee. Sampson, by Indiana University.

But both, undeniably, are on the bounce back.

Both are ascending in stature even as the college game turns to coaches like Golden (131-69 in six years, including three at San Francisco) and Scheyer (89-21 in three, all at Duke).

Both Golden and Scheyer hold their Final Four coaching counterparts in high regard. Golden once worked on Pearl’s Auburn staff for a couple of years.

Scheyer said he elected before his first season as head coach to play a scrimmage with Sampson and Houston, just after he had taken the reins from Duke legend Mike Krzyzewski. He did it because he’s always admired UH’s defensive tenacity and toughness.

Also, Scheyer said he and Sampson texted back and forth that year. It’s clear he holds Sampson in high regard, and from Thursday’s news conference, it was easy to see why.

Sampson has a disarming charm about him. Just listen to him talk.

“Well.” Sampson continued on Thursday, “I coached against my son, (UH assistant coach) Kellen (Sampson), in scrimmages all the time. He’s always kicking my butt. So I’m used to being beat by younger guys.”

He said the move by some schools to hire young talent in coaching is “great for the game, ‘cause the game should always be about the future.”

In making his point, Sampson expressed some dismay at how fans talk about Houston’s teams in the 1960s and the 1980s.

In the ‘80s, former coach Guy V. Lewis led the Cougars to three straight Final Fours with Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler and “Phi Slama Jama.”

“I’m thinking none of the kids that I’m recruiting, nor their parents, have ever heard of that,” he said. “That’s the past. Honor it. Let’s honor those guys. But for God’s sake, don’t live in the past.

“When I look at Todd (and) Jon, it makes me feel good about the future of the game. I still think Bruce has got a lot of good years left. He’s a youngster. He’s only 65. Maybe not for this old one.”

Sampson said basketball is in “good hands” with the younger coaches, who are better equipped “to navigate these choppy waters.” He also mentioned how he relies on his assistants.

From his son, to Quannas White, to Hollis Price and K.C. Beard. He said he encourages them to call their peers in the profession and ask about how they’re handling the changing business model of college sports.

“I didn’t know anything about NIL,” he said. “I used to think it was sacrilege if you transferred inside your own league. That would never have happened (years ago.) Now it’s just a different time.”

For college basketball fans, it’s also an exciting time, thanks to two “old guys” who can still coach and hope to prove it again on Saturday night.